Removal of metallic plating, coating, or fouling from metallic or other surfaces.



T. R.y BAYLIss, W. R. HoDGKINsoN, J. 11. HARDGA'STLE, A. HE coTE .& R'. A. E. PAYNE, A' REMOVAL 0F METALLIG PLATING, OOATING, 0R FOULING FROM METALLIO 0R OTHER SURFAGES.

APPLIOATION FILED I'EB.18, 1908.

' Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

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'IHoIuAs RICHARD BAYLIss, oF NORTHFIELD, NEAR BIRMINGHAM-WILLIAM RICHARD HoDG- KINSON, OF BLACKHEATH, JOHN HERSGHEL HARDCASTLE, OF LEE, ARTHUR HERBERT COOTE, OF WESTCOMBE PARK, AND RICHARD ALFRED ERNEST PAYNE, OF EDGBASTON', NEAR BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO KINGS NORTON METAL COMPANY LIM- ITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

REMOVAL F :METALLIC PLATING, COATNG, OR FOULING FROM METALLIC OR OTHER.

Specification of `Letters Patent.-

' 'Patented Jan. 5, 1909.I

To all 'wb/omit may concern:v

Be it known that we, THOMAS RICHARD BAYLIss, WILLIAM RICHARD VI-IonGKII-1s'oN-, JOHN HERscHnL HARDcAs'rLE, ARTHUR HRR- .RRR'I Coors, and RICHARD lALFRED ERNEST BAYNE, .subjects of the King of Great Brita1n,and respectively residing at Belmont,

Northfield, near Birmingham; 18 Glenluce road, Blackheath, Kent; 70 Burnt Ash'road, Lee, Kent; 3G Humber road, Westcombe Park, Kent, and 20 `Vernon road, Edgba'ston, Birmingham, all in England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to the Removal of Metallic Plating, Coating, or Fouling from Metallic or other Surfaces, of whichthe followingis a specification.

The said invention consists of the newl or improved method and means hereinafter described for removing the metallic plating coating or fouling'from metallic or other surfaces and is particularly applicable, to the removal of copper, nickel, cupro-nickel or zinc from surfaces of iron or steel, plated,

coated or fouled thereby; and the said inf vention has for its'object to eiect the rapid removal of the said metallic plating coating or-fouling Without injuriously ai'ecting the surface from which the plating, coating or fouling has been removed. i,

In carrying. the4 said invention into lelfect We make themetallic plated, coated or fouled article the anode of an electrolytic arrangement in .which an ammoniacal solution, preferably of the kind hereinafter described, is used asA the electrolyte, the cathode consisting of one or more suitably shaped metallic plates, bars, tubes, rods vor other electrical conductors.

The cathode of the elect-rolytic arrange--. ment may bestationary, but we prefer to' provide means, hereinafter described,where by a preferably rapid rotary mot-ion may be 's given to the said cathode.

The electrolyte may be'composed of the amid of an acid, or of an ammonium salt of an acid, preferably of an organic-acid, in solution with free or uncombined ammonium hydroxid or ammonia.

We will 4describe the saidl invention in connection with the removal of the metallic the bore of a breech loading gun, for'which pur ose the `said invention Is particularly app icable, the. 'arrangement of the parts f fouling from' tlie lands or grooves of constituting -the electrolytic combination,y

being diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Figurevl represents the arrangement of parts when a stationary cathode 1s employed. Fig.-2 is a cross section on the dotted line 2-2` Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4: represent arrangements of parts which may be employed when the cathode is to be rotated.

Thesame letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Vfigures of the drawing.

a is the breech loadinggun from the bore of which the copper or other metallic fouling is tobe removed, which gun and metalllc fouling are to constitute the anodey of the electrolytic arrangement.

The muzzle of the gun a is suitably plugged, the said plug, marked b, preferably constituting an insulating support for one end of rthe rod c of iron or other conducting material, which rod c is introduced axially in to the bore of the gun a, and constitutes the cathode when the said gun a and rod c are respectively connected to the positive and negative terminals of a source of electricity, after the introduction ofthe electrolyte into the bore of the gun.

Insulnting supports d, (Z may be placed at intervals along the rod c for insulating the said rod from the body of the gun, the

- said supports having cut away parts or perforationsd1 for permitting the electrolyteto fill the bore of the gun around the cathode or negative pole piece c.

The insulating supports may be so constructed and arranged as t-o partake ofa slow .longitudinal motion in the bore of the gun in order that no .portion of the fouled surface shall remain covered by thc said 4supports during the whole of the time ro quired for the removal of the fouling.

- The muzzle of the gun is depressed so that the gun is inclined at a convenient angle for the introduction and retention of the electrolyte therein, and the breech end is pluggedby aplug e which preferably conto `afford satisfactory results z-2 per cent.-

by volume of glacial acetic acid,best quality; 15 per cent. by volume of ammonia of 0.880 specific gravity; 83 per cent. by volume of Water.

After the introduction of the electrolyte into the bore of the gun a the pole piece c is connected to the negative terminal and the nto the .positive terminal of a source of e ectricity vand 'a current of say 100.am peres at a pressure of about 5 to 10 volts l 1s passed through the electrolytic` arrangement. vDuring the passage of the current,

' the copperor other metallic fouling, leaves the anode and is: deposited vor precipitated upon; the cathode, or is dissolved m the electrolyte, I V

'The completion of the removal of the copper fouling can be ascertained by examining l the cathodeoccasionally and noting the rate f and posltion of the copper deposit thereon,

or in some 'cases by observing the color of the liquid.- l'

The solution-*may be repeatedly employed so long as'it is maintained armnoniacal.

giving a preferably rapid rotary' motion to the cathode '(or 'cathodes) currents of greater density'may be employed and the removal of the copper or other metallic coating or fouling from the coated orv fouled sur-f face of the anode' is considerabl accelerated.

The rsipid rotary `motion o; the cathode may be e v ected in various Ways.- For example, the rod ccons'tituting the cathode inthe arrangement for removing the fouling from,

- .maybe mounted'in vsuitable bearings 1n the vsaidbore or near the `en ds of the gun and may have a pulley f' xed on one of its ends as is represented in Fig. 3, the saidA pulley being rotated by`belt gearing, (not shown). Or the rod 0 may be driven directly by an electro-.motor g as is illustrated in Fig.- 4', which represents the muzzle end of Icathode c therein and the motor frame or caslng fitted on the end of the gun. 0r the cathode, or cathodes, may be otherwise rotated.

Where the cathode is rotated a brush la, or other contact arrangement, must be em- Vclaim as new and desire a gun a, portion of axial plo edat the negative terminal to contact wit the said rotating cathode.

A similar method to. that above described' may be employed to remove the Cupra ynickel foulin from the barrel of; a rifle, say

a 0.303 inch lee-Enfield rifle, but the metallic pole piece inserted in the bore to constitute the cathode will necessarily be thm, .a stretched-iron Wire for instance, the electric current in this case being reduced in stren h so as to avoid undue heating or the liabi ity of fusingthe connections. v

As a lfurther illustration of the appllcation of the said invention, assum it 1s desired to replate an iron orsteel article and the existin metallic coating has first to be removed, tie latter operatlon @en readlly be accomplished by the means herelnbefore described. Thus the existing platingon the 'handle bar of a velocipede may readily be 'removed by constituting the said'handle barthe 'anode of an electrolytic arrangement vhaving suitable cathodes and an electrolyte of the' kind hereinbefore described.

. By suitably adjusting the strength of the electric currentvand the proportion of the ingredients in the solution, extreme vcases of metallic fouling or coating slch as that occurringv from the automatic firing' of a Maxim gun, can be efficiently and quickly In the pre )eration of the solution the presence of t e halogensand, sulfid compounds must be avoided since they4 tend to create a rustin4 effect on the iron lor, steel surfaces, and la kali or alkaline earth metals are to be avoided for a similar reason.

Having described our invention, what we Patent is--" The herein described method of removing .to secure by Letters metallic plate, coating or fouling from the surfaces of metallic articles consisting in electrically connecting the article to serve as an anode, confining an electrolyte within the article, said electrolyte consisting of an ammoniacalliquid which is held a ainst .the surface of the article to 'be trea and introducingland ra idly rotating a cathode in the article and tie electrolyte adjacent to.

the surfaces to be treated.

l In testimony Whereofwehave hereunto set our hands in presence. of two lsl'ibscribing Witnesses. 4

THOMAS RICHARD B AYLISS.

` WILLIAM RICHARD HODGINSON.

' JOHN HERSCHEL HARDCASTLE.

ARTHUR HERBERT COOTE.

RICHARD ALFRED ERNEST PAYNE.

Witnesses:

H. D. JAMESON, 4

F. L. RAND. 

